Nearly two years after the horrific attack at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport, five girls who survived have reunited, with their parents speaking for the first time about their daughters' heroism and ongoing recovery. The girls, who were aged between seven and ten at the time, met for a playdate that included pilates and dancing to Harry Styles, a stark contrast to the trauma they endured on 29 July 2024.
On that day, Axel Rudakubana entered the Hart Space armed with a 20cm knife, killing three girls—Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine—and injuring eight other children and two adults. Among the survivors, Daisy, then seven, was stabbed 33 times and lost her entire blood volume, leaving her in a coma for five days. CCTV footage showed her staggering outside before being dragged back inside by the attacker.
Despite her critical injuries, Daisy shielded other girls, including Amber, then eight, whom she helped escape. The two were later reunited on the same ward at Alder Hey children's hospital, wearing matching Lilo & Stitch nighties. 'They didn't know each other's name at that point, they just knew they were together,' said Daisy's mother. 'They've formed a really special bond.'
Amber's older sister, Bethany, then ten, also shielded Amber during the attack, suffering several wounds herself. 'She saved her sister's life that day,' said their mother. 'The word “heroes” is thrown about, but they saved themselves, they got themselves out of this building, they ran.' Another survivor, Bella, then ten, was stabbed three times to the back with enough force to penetrate her chest wall. She was minutes from death when a Midlands air ambulance, returning from an abandoned job, arrived by coincidence. 'She had finished bleeding out,' said Bella's mother. 'You couldn't have planned that divine timing.'
The parents, who cannot be identified, expressed concern that their daughters' bravery risks being forgotten. 'I felt so devastated for her, that we're at home building up this recovery for her, saying: “You saved yourself,” when the world has no idea what she's done,' said Daisy's mother. The reunion, nearly two years on, marks a significant step in the girls' healing process, as they continue to deal with critical injuries, scars, and trauma.
